Into the Garden
by sorka robinton
Summary: this is a Secret Garden story, Mary and Dickon fall in love, Colin gets pissed...
1. returning home

Hey guys, sorry if its screwy, but i can't find my book...so theres no little "english moor" talk here. too bad. just think it in your head.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Mary ran down the path to the manor. Home! She pulled impatiently at the door, cursing vividly as she tripped over her lacy skirt. Stupid thing, always hated it. Posy, her maid, had cut the bloody neckline too low, the back too low, and the skirt too long.   
  
After three years at that awful boarding school, Mary was sixteen, taller, and absolutely homesick. All she had been taught was handwriting and being pretty.   
  
"A proper lady speaks softly, walks quietly, and uses her modesty," Mistress Prudence had admonished the girl. "And you do not show any of these womanly qualities!" In response, Mary had rolled her eyes.   
  
Bursting through the heavy wooden doors, Mary ran smack into someone. "Martha!" she cried joyfully.   
  
The maid hugged her. "Miss Mary, you home? For real?"   
  
"Yes, Martha!" Mary shouted. "I'm home!" Peering around Martha's shoulder, she scanned the hallway. "Where's Colin and Dickon?"   
  
"Master Colin is out, Miss Mary. Me brother's in the garden."   
  
Grabbing her coat, Mary snatched her satchel full of seed packets and raced back through the door.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`  
  
Running through the pathways, Mary twisted her hip length hair into a bun. Creeping up to the garden door, she snuck in.   
  
Peeking around the holly hedge, Mary saw a tall lad bending over a patch of crocus sproutlings. Standing quickly, he moved with strong, striding grace.   
  
She was unable to restrain herself. "Dickon!" she screamed, excited at being in the wonderous garden once more.   
  
Straightening, Dickon looked up. "Mary?" Dropping his shovel, he ran up to her. "Mary!" Stopping right before he hit her, his handsome face blushed. "Miss, what are you wearing?"  
  
Looking down at herself, Mary turned pink also. "Oh, nevermind that." She wrapped her coat over the low neckline. "I brought more seeds, from that awful place!"   
  
"Come on then, lets go plant them!"   
  
Mary smirked. "Gotta go change." She pointed to her covered chest. "I didn't do washing, so I had to come home in _this._"   
  
Agreeing, the boy casually sauntered to the left, then grabbed her wrist. "Too bad!" he yelled gleefully, dragging her with him down the garden's center path.   
  
Mary shrieked, writhing playfully and shedding her coat in the process. Her bun fell apart, swinging down to her hips. Tangling her legs in his, the girl effectively tripped him. Falling backwards onto the soft grass, Mary's hands lost hold of the satchel as she thumped on her back. A shower of seeds flew through the air, and they both paused, watching the decending amber droplets.   
  
"That just did the job for us!" Dickon grinned down at her. Tweaking her nose, he froze, his hands on her waist and legs still entangled. His sky blue eyes were wide open, mirroring his shock and...hope?  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
please r/r! next chapter coming soon!  



	2. reactions

i have a habit of commenting on my comments.   
  
amanda- yeah, don't worry. I'm trying not to make it one of those plotless kiss-and-be-happy ones. i want to try make it interesting, so i hope it doesn't go bad somewhere!  
  
yeah. and i don't write like FH Burnett, shes too good. so i have to make do with my sad skills.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~`  
  
Dickon stared down, into the one face he loved in the world. Smoothing back her flowing hair, now spotted with amber seed drops, he tweaked her nose. Absolutely not thinking at all and acting on impulse, he kissed her.   
  
Then his mind reacted. What was he _doing?_  
  
"Mary, I'm sorry-" he began, drawing his face away to a hand's length, but was interrupted as her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him back down.   
  
Her mouth curved into a sly smile. "This is why I had to come home!" she whispered joyfully, "I couldn't stand hearing you in letters only!" She kissed him, twining her hands in his long curling hair. Hardly believing his good fortune, Dickon responded to her wholeheartedly.   
  
The garden's silky blossoms rejoiced in the background as the two younglings finally expressed their hidden love.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Father!" Colin yelled, dashing into the hall. "Father?"   
  
Martha ran to greet him. "Master Colin!" she cried. "Miss Mary's back from boarding school!"   
  
"What?" the young man asked, energetic as usual. "While I was gone? I was just looking for Dickon, at your mother's house-"   
  
The maid grabbed his coat and handed it to him. "In the garden," she told him, bustling him out the heavy wooden door and down the stone steps.   
  
Smoothing his dark hair out of his eyes as he ran, Colin privately rejoiced. Mary! He hadn't seen his cousin in...how long? Three years? He longed to see her, especially after harboring such strong feelings while she was away.   
  
Walking quietly and neatly through the garden's unlocked door, he trotted past the tidy flowerbeds and bench. Stopping at the pillar, he froze.   
  
Mary and Dickon, sitting against the garden wall and surrounded by spring crocuses, were ardently and passionately kissing. He nearly gasped in indignation at the sight. How could they...? Secretly, he knew his anger stemmed from the part of him who wanted to be doing exactly what Dickon was doing.   
  
Turning on his heel, Colin stormed out of his former haven, now a hateful place.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Archibald Craven, coming up the walk, intercepted Mary and Dickon on their way to the manor. "Mary!" he exclaimed. "Early as usual. I almost thought you weren't coming back!"   
  
"Not come back?" she cried aloud. "I was _absolutely _dying to come back!"   
  
Her uncle grimaced. "That awful?" Catching sight of his niece's and Dickon's clasped hands, he raised his dark eyebrows.   
  
Blushing, the two released their fingers but Lord Craven simply shook his head. "I was expecting this, and I do welcome the thought. And stop looking at me like that, Dickon," he added, feigning irritability. "I will not execute you." The boy grinned in relief.   
  
"Now," the man said. "There is one thing i would like to discuss later."   
  
"What?" the two breathed, extremely worried.   
  
"Ah, just a small arrangement," Lord Craven smiled. "You cannot refuse me, because it's already arranged. But," he said cryptically, "I don't think you would refuse it anyway." He tipped his hat and walked away.   
  
"What was that about?" Mary murmured. Dickon shrugged.   
  
"I have no idea."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`  
  
The pleased man greeted Martha then stumped over to his office cheerily only to be greeted by an angry son.   
  
"Father!" he yelled, face mottled red.   
  
"What?" Confused, Master Craven sat down in his comfortable chair. "Is there something wrong, Colin?"  
  
The boy supressed a roar. "Mary and Dickon!"   
  
"Oh, yes," his father said calmly. "Wonderful isn't it?" When the boy did not answer, he stressed the phrase. "_Wonderful, isn't it?"_  
  
Colin fumed. "Are you crazy? A commoner and a lady?"   
  
"Ah, you're just jealous. But, she's your cousin."   
  
"No, I am not!"   
  
Contentedly, Archibald leaned back. "Well, the difference in the superficial conventional status is solved. Today, I have arranged for you, Mary, and Dickon to inherit my lands and fortune equally, to control and live here in a joint effort."   
  
Colin choked back a startled grunt, and stamped his foot. For the first time in years, he was acting like the crippled tantrumous fool he used to be. His father's eyes flashed angrily.   
  
For a man with a disablity, Lord Craven stood up and grasped the young man by the arm with amazing dexterity and speed. "Have you forgotten," he gritted his teeth, "what you owe those two? They _saved _your life."   
  
The stubborn lad shook his head defiantly. "Not so!"   
  
Dragging him to a chair, the older man slammed his son down. "If not for them, you would be dead or dying, in a bed you would have never left. Alone, miserable, and completely savage, life would not be worth living!" he snapped.   
  
Colin sat silent. Archibald continued his lecture. "Dickon is to be as your brother, with the same rights and entitlements as you. Mary is to be as your sister. Without them, i would not have a son at all. And this is final." Dismissing Colin, he sat once again at his chair.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Oh my god, whats going to happen next? sarcasm is kicking in! its late and im tired! hahahahahaaaaaa....


End file.
